Search the Community

So, my 4 weeks is officially today. I've lost 26lbs. I should be thrilled, right? Nope. I have this total mental derp happening that makes me feel like I will somehow be the only person in gastric bypass history to ONLY lose 26lbs and that's it. I'm done. No more weight loss. lol! I think because I've had so many failures in the past, I just anticipate this being another one of them... even though I am following everything the best I can (in light of my ulcer, I am low on protein - working on it!) I also have a mental derp against protein shakes. Aside from my whey allergy and getting super nauseous... back in 2009 I had liposuction when I was a mere 140lbs. After surgery I drank TONSSSS of muscle-building/weight-gaining protein shakes because the plastic surgeon said I needed them for muscle recovery. Welp, I gained 40lbs doing that! I had no guidance and was an idiot, basically. But that's where the weight gain started - so I have a creeper lurking in my brain that protein shakes = weight gain = super morbid obesity. I am trying to get over it; I have a sweet home gym and was just told yesterday I am not allowed to exercise because my protein is currently too low. So, that has motivated me more and I started a soy shake last night. Gunna keep it up. I feel like I have conquered so many of my cravings-issues, though. I read just a few chapters in Never Binge Again and it is so helpful. I highly recommend that book. I feel very in control, and did have one mishap the other day when I got very stressed (I overate, but not a "banned food")... we're all human, though. Why are our brains so self-defeating?! I know I am championing through this in light of the complication and there is NO reason I will fail... unless I set myself up for it. So, nipping it in the bud now, for sure. But it sure is hard to overcome some of those mental blocks. If it wasn't, I'm sure most of us wouldn't be here. Just my random blurb o' the day.

Hi! I am 15 years out from DS. I will tell you what I was told not only by my surgeon but more or less everyone in my support group. I say from my support group because when I had surgery there was no DS Surgeon in our state and everyone left the state to have surgery, hence I don't think any of us had the same surgeon other than a married couple. EMBRACE THE FAT!!!! Number one rule! If you don't see fat in your toilet your not eating enough. My skin gets extremely dry any time I cut the fat. I am shocked that you were told or assumed that low fat was great for you. Protein should be about 100 grams a day split up in 20-25 gram servings, so any fatty meat is good!!! Avoid sugar. Sugar isn't as bad for DS'ers as it is for RNY, we don't dump. However, we absorb 100% of the sugar we take in. I am also surprised you can eat bread at all. Most DS'er will have bloating and serious gas issues from bread. For me (and from most I have heard from) the gas hits at the night so you may not be aware of it. For me it has been so bad the stink wakes me up at nigh, thank goodness I can blame the dog Try going flour free for a month then reintroduce it to your body, if you have a reaction please stop. To make your diet easy for you, the order you should be eating your food, fatty meats,non starchy veggies with butter or olive oil, if your still hungry go back to fatty meat you didn't eat enough!!! Go easy on the starchy veggies. IF you need bread and desserts, no more than a bite or two. But as my surgeon says, if you still hungry by the time you get to bread and dessert your out eating your surgery! As for malabsorption, you absorb about 20-25% of fat, 50ish% of protein and 100% of sugar (carbs are sugar, stay way from carbs that are not veggies) You need to go back to experimenting with your body, bread...flour based food give me gas, bloat and in the end a lot of time in the bathroom. I also feel like I have the flu. My husband will look at the cookie in my hand and will ask me if I have plans for tomorrow and is it worth being sick on the couch for. Most of the time it isn't! I also have issues with rice, it will clog me up. I have heard of other DS'ers with that issue with rice too, but many more with flour. Sugar will cause the scale to go up. I still eat sugar, but it is a rare treat, not a daily ,weekly or even monthly treat. Mostly a yearly treat at this time of year. But I still very easy on it because to much will cause bloating and gas too. That is normal for humans who don't eat sugar, not just DS'ers. On the sugar note, if your craving sugar your going thru withdrawal or some protein drinks will cause cravings or you need to up your vitamin Bs special B12. Ok, what to eat on the go. I drive for a living so I have this down. My favorite is meat and cheese roll ups. What ever meat and cheese is on sale at the deli. In the roll up I will put a slice of red pepper or a some cream cheese or a smear of spinach dip (fat is your friend!!!) Jerky and beef sticks are great! Nuts. Costco has parmesan cheese chips, LOVE THEM! Tuna salad eaten with a fork with a cheese chip on top. I get the fatty tuna and a bit of crunch from the cheese chip. Love it! Salad with LOTS of meat. I can do chicken strips, bunless burgers, salad at any fast food place. Be careful of yogurt, most are low fat and high sugar. Actually in general avoid any food that is low fat, the sugar is crazy high. If you want yogurt, plain and add your own fruit or sugar free jam to it. You can eat fruit, pick higher fiber ones just be aware of the amount of sugar your eating. I do apples slices and berries mostly, easy to pack for the road. These are treats, not staples. Depression, I never had depression issues before surgery and was not prepared for it after. It hit me about a year out. I take lexapro now, it does not cause weight gain. I have noticed that when I eat more fatty fish, salmon or can tuna in fat (hard to find anymore) I feel better. I upped my omegas when I caught that, so now I am taking those with my vitamins. I would suggest talking to your primary about depression and then getting a therapist or councilor to talk to. Not only for everything going on in your life, you have a lot! but also for food addiction. Surgery will not fix food addiction and if you don't get a handle on it, you will eventually out eat your surgery.

My PCP said much the same thing. We were discussing whether I should go back on fibro meds, given that ones I had been on before caused a lot of my weight gain. I am waiting to see how I do without them. I am counting on the weight loss to help.

I'm not sure why but it is in BIG BOLD LETTERS on our list, no protein that is made from soy protein Isolate. Whey Protein Isolate only. I didn't question it because there is SO MUCH to learn and do, I'm just trying to follow the plan given. However I googled it just now and there are a lot of hits about it.. including causing Weight gain... "It contains a chemical known as goitrogen, which can affect the hormones needed to boost your metabolism. This can lead to weight problems and other concerns." https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=Jr_4W63RCseSjwSChJPwBA&q=why+soy+protein+isolate+is+bad+for+you&oq=why+soy+protein&gs_l=psy-ab.1.2.0l3j0i22i30l7.5749.11366..20053...1.0..0.98.1491.16......0....1..gws-wiz.....0..35i39j0i131j0i20i263.uPvjmkI9Bow

My first week and a half was amazing I saw almost 2-3 pounds a day and lost over 20 pounds and then it just stopped. Week 3 and now week 4 I have not lost a single pound and I noticed that I have gained 3 pounds and I feel like it is mostly my fault. I don't drink enough water because I am not thirsty and I am eating soft solids now and I don't eat enough I think or I could be eating the wrong foods. I am just feeling defeated. My support from the surgeons office tells me its probably my body going into starvation mode and possibly constipated. I just feel alone and it is making me depressed. I don't binge eat but during Thanksgiving I went crazy on the stuffing I might have eaten that stuff in bits throughout the day I really wanted to feel normal for a day but now full regret since I saw the scale go up one pound. Is there anyway feeling the same way or has been there and was able to overcome it?

I never had reflux until I had the sleeve. I never ate a lot at one time prior to the sleeve. Didnt eat a lot after. Lost weight, gained it back. Had the RNY. Things are so different this time around.

Hello, I gained 35 pounds since my surgery over two years ago. If anyone has regained and loss again, please give me some pointers.

Did you have the by pass or sleeve? The reason I ask is I was going to have the sleeve but my surgeon highly suggested the bypass for more weight loss. Because I have noticed that the people that have the sleeve lose less weight than the people that have the bypass I am assuming that is because with the sleeve you still have a larger stomach capacity so you can actually eat more versus the bypass where you have a little bitty pouch. I am not quite six months out and then 112 pounds lighter so I am very thankful for my surgeon knowing and recommending the bypass. Also I was weighing every two weeks but now I only weigh once a month that way if you did have a stall then you wouldn't really notice it because I was very afraid if I seen a weight gain or a stall it would mess with my mind so once a month is all I will wait now and I am still averaging about 8 to 10pounds a month loss. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using BariatricPal mobile app

It took my 9 pound surgery weight gain about 8 days to go down Sent from my Pixel 3 using BariatricPal mobile app

I am not often hungry and never have been able to eat a large amount of food at one time..but started grazing and stress eating...proactively work on both issues. My approach will be to not overeat, even if I have room to eat more, which is unfortunately how I have maintained the weight gain (65#) from pregnancy in the first place. Prior to pregnancy, I was in the normal weight category and remained that way because I watched what I ate (as did all of my normal weight, "naturally thin friends") and adjusted...some might call that a diet, but mindful eating was a way of life for me. Post-pregnancy, let's just say, I didn't return to it. I have lost weight a number of times since pregnancy, but couldn't maintain it. So, if my team can give me a formula that I can easily follow (amount per meal and number of meals/per day) to maintain the my new weight, I am inclined to follow it. I have tried it my way and was not successful.

Like a similar poster, I do not diet either unless we count eating better quality food as dieting. I don't measure, weigh, or count calories. Just typing that almost made my head spin. 🙂 However, I do eat plenty of vegetables, proteins and some carbs. I spend my effort on preparing the majority of my meals instead of take out or restaurant. I am a volume eater. The surgery only minimized that just a bit. By including tons of vegetables (preferably cooked) to my meals, I get the satiety without a ton of extra calories. I've had only one week of weight gain, and that was back in August, and I've had one stall, and it was barely a stall. I stayed the same weight from one week to the next week's weigh-in, but the following week was back on the losing streak again.

So when I decided to have a revision from sleeve to bypass, due to bad reflux and weight gain, my surgeon warned me that my weight loss results would be slower than if I had not had previous WLS. I defiantly felt like I lost more quickly with my initial surgery. I just wondered for those that are farther out from revision......... Did you reach your goal? How much of your excess weight did you lose 40% 50%, 60% or more of your estimated weight loss goal? Do you feel that your weight loss was slower than with your initial WLS? Did you weight loss slow dramatically after the first few month? How long did it take you to get to goal? I would love to hear any information or progress stories you revision veterans are willing to share. Thanks!

Generally when we undergo an operation in a hospital we are treated with antibiotics to protect us from harmful bacteria present in a hospital. This kills not only the bad bacteria but also the good gut bacteria in our colons. As a result, many of us take probiotics to reestablish the colonies of good bacteria in our gut. I came across research of gut flora this morning that seemed interesting. Our body’s microbiome, the bacteria living in symbiotic harmony in our gut provides us with a source of wellness. Two small, exploratory studies, analyzed microblome in terms of change and resilience. Influence of Geographical Change In the first study, researchers looked at the diversity of our gut flora as individuals immigrated and assimilated, changing diet and geography. The inspiration may have been the finding that immigrants to the US often develop weight gain and Western diseases - obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and coronary artery disease. While refeeding of individuals who came from food challenged areas is felt to be part of the issue, changing diet has also been implicated. The authors collected stool samples, 24-hour food recall surveys and demographics from two distinct Thai populations, the Hmong and Karen. Individuals included those still living in Thailand as well as immigrants (1st generation) and their children (2nd generation). Thai immigrants were chosen because the study was conducted in Minnesota a central site for their immigration; women formed the predominant research population because they were more frequently the immigrants. Americans of European ancestry served as the control. * Microbiologic richness and diversity were greatest in current Thai residents. * 30% of that diversity was lost in the first generation immigrants, and the diversity continued to decline and resemble that of the control group as time in the US increased and in the 2nd generation, American born Thai children. * Bacteroides strains replaced Prevotella strains among immigrants, the extent of that shift again associated with length of residence in the US. * The loss of Prevotella was felt to be the driving force behind a decreasing functional ability of the microbiome to degrade dietary fibers indigenous to the native Thai diet. Think of it as use it or lose it. * Dietary shifts to a Western diet was felt to account for only about 16% of total variation. * Westernization of the microbiome began within nine months of arrival. Resilience A second, "proof of concept" like study, looked at 12 healthy men treated for four days with an antibiotic cocktail meant to mimic common first-line choices for intensive care patients. [1] The outcome was the effect on the gut microbiome over a subsequent six month period, again measured by stool cultures taken at various time intervals. It is no surprise, at least to clinicians, that the antibiotics did not sterilize the gut, but it did bring about changes. * There was an immediate drop in the diversity and richness of the microbiologic populations, but by Day 8 diversity was returning although it never reached baseline values. * By Day 8, the relative abundance of about 50 species changed, some increasing and others decreasing – clearly, the ecology was different. And while some bacterial species were still absent after six months, by Day 42, the ecology had, for the most part, returned to its baseline. * Antibiotic resistance was only one of many virulence factors enhanced by the antibiotic exposure that lead to an early increase in pathologic bacteria. But over time the pathologic bacteria were again overrun by more symbiotic species. Virulence factors * Interestingly, Clostridium species which had not been seen initially were now present – this is a species that forms spores as protection in an unhealthy environment and then returns to its other form when “the coast is clear;” it is the source of antibiotic-related hospital-acquired morbidity, C. difficile diarrhea. Source: I Sing The Body's Microbiome So what are some of the takeaways? First, antibiotic treatment does not sterilize the gut microbiome. But it does reduce the diversity and richness of gut bacteria. Recovery of the colonies of good gut bacteria begins about 8 days after the antibiotic treatment end. So a patient is more vulnerable to pathologic bacteria during that time. For example - it is the source of antibiotic-related hospital-acquired morbidity, C. difficile diarrhea. Therefore using probiotics after the antibiotic treatment ends and you leave the hospital is a good approach in order to quickly reestablish the diversity of good gut bacteria.

I'm thinking of quitting drinking altogether. I'm 7 months out, I never drank much before and with the no eating and drinking I chose to keep drinking. So I'd drink ALMOST the whole bottle of wine but I don't get drunk fast like they say we do. I don't want to have one glass because hey, what's the point? I never considered myself a food addict, I ate when I was bored, but when I had a food I really liked and bought it once in awhile I would gorge on it. I'm not even a fan of the taste of most wines until the second glass. Transfer addiction. Sadly my mom had this happen with her bypass. She lost the weight, started drinking and became a raging alcoholic for years. Now she's 5 years sober. (12 years post op) But she also put on 40 pounds in that process and with guilt of the embarrassment and also recently losing both her parents she is struggling to get it off. So...anyway I know I won't be one of those people who can have that one glass of wine, I drink to get buzzed which always ends up in la la land and eventually weight gain. Nope. Done. The only place I will miss having a drink is weddings because they are awful sober. Did one 2.5 months post op, that dragged on and people were crazy drunk. So I said I'm thinking of quitting drinking in the beginning of this post, yeah as I've wrote about it and processed it more I'm definitely quitting.

LOL I’ve religiously watched every episode, every season, probably 2-3x 😂 That Asanti family is the biggest train wreck I’ve ever seen. My favorite though...when Dr. Now hauls off on one lady that’s constantly blaming her weight gain on water weight. He goes “You’re not 700lbs of water!!!” I nearly died LOLOL

Mine went extremely well. I came back to work yesterday. Now if i could just get rid of the excess gas, and the weight gain from the surgery (15 pounds additional LOL) I am down to 4 over.. so hopefully by end of week i will start seeing a loss of some sort. I am able to get all my liquids and proteins in.. thankfully. Tonight i will start extended walking. I have been walking but not as exercise. that starts tonight.

Great idea! My list is... 1. Mobility-my knees, I couldn't do crap because it killed my knees. This is already nearly resolved and I am just 2 weeks out heh. 2. Health-been crazy healthy my whole life til 2 years ago. Had something else go awry in my body and had transfusions.... within 2 months I was diabetic, an MS diagnosis, high blood pressure, a huge weight gain, and such severe exhaustion and fatigue that I could barely make it to the bathroom, much less do anything or go anywhere. And I NEVER wanna be that way again so here I am post op already off Metformin and bp meds as I no longer have those conditions... and I can walk around my neighborhood! 3. Family-I love them so much, I wanna keep being involved with them for a long time 4. Longevity-Again, I love my hubby and kids and grandkids sooooo much, I wanna be around to enjoy them a good while longer! 5. Looks-bonus! But I dont think I would have had bariatric surgery over primarily looks, its just the icing on the cake to be better looking lol 6. Romance- doesn't matter, I have the best, kindest, most awesome hubby I could ever hope for already! He's amazing and makes my heart flutter and my world go round!

I had my 1 year check up a month late. I was 285 at my highest weight, 261 pre-surgery. I now weigh 183. I have only lost 10 pounds in the past 6 months. I stopped focusing on losing weight and just tried to maintain weight. I have been fighting cancer the past 6 months and that has been my focus. I am happy with how I have done as my cancer meds cause weight gain. My battle with cancer will never be over but I am at a place where I feel I can focus on my weight but will admit I could be happy at this weight. My goal is to lose another 15 pounds and settle for weighing around 165 pounds. Let’s not give up the fight. I feel so much better with the weight off.

This isn't a slam the needs of protein, but this article came across my email and caught my attention. If this is what is noted for the average healthy person aging, I'm curious to know how it relates to those of us after bariatric surgery. Just a random article I thought I'd share... no comments needed. https://www.silversneakers.com/blog/3-weird-reasons-youre-gaining-weight/?utm_campaign=SilverSneakers - Newsletter Yes&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=67292921&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--bgIkZMMoXHl8eJUMMRjxMMUuiYzaEtVkTcwRgP-UiUdHdA3Q8fweyYpH_KzVU4cVE4_dnLCDov6AACwajYuSl8JItqA&_hsmi=67293380 3 Weird Reasons You’re Gaining Weight By K. Aleisha Fetters | October 31, 2018 Staying slim through the years isn’t as simple as calories in, calories out. Here are the age-related changes that can mess with the scale. As you get older, it becomes more difficult to keep your weight in check. You’re likely well aware of this fact. The most common culprits: slower metabolism, less active lifestyle, or menopause for women. But sometimes, the source of weight gain is much more mysterious. “A lot of changes occur in the body during the aging process that people aren’t aware of,” says Craig Primack, M.D., an obesity medicine physician at Scottsdale Weight Loss Center in Arizona. “And these changes can have a large impact on weight.” Here are three such examples, plus simple ways to tip the scale in your favor. Weird Reason #1: Your Body Doesn’t Absorb Protein Like It Used To “As we get older, our bodies become less sensitive to protein and can absorb less of it,” Dr. Primack says. And since protein is critical to muscle health, this means it becomes more difficult to maintain your muscle mass and continue burning the same amount of calories every day. Remember: Muscle burns more calories than fat, even at rest. Your body also absorbs amino acids, the building blocks of protein, more slowly with age. Recent research published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging found that while amino acid levels spike in one hour after protein consumption for adults ages 20 to 25, it takes three hours in people ages 60 to 75. More research is needed to determine exactly why older adults absorb less protein, and do so more slowly. But we do know that stomach acid levels decrease with age, Dr. Primack says. And since stomach acids play a role in protein digestion, it’s one possible explanation. Tip the scale: Increase your protein intake. According to the National Academy of Medicine, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for adults in their 50s and older is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight—or about 0.36 grams per pound of bodyweight. But research shows that roughly 40 percent of women and men ages 51 and older don’t meet those recs. Meanwhile, mounting research suggests that for optimal muscle health and metabolism, adults ages 50 and older should consume at least double the RDA for protein. That works out to about 0.7 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. For a 180-pound adult, that’s 126 grams of protein per day. For maximum benefits, space out your protein throughout the day, suggests Rob Danoff, D.O., director of the family practice residency program at Jefferson Health Northeast in Philadelphia. Getting 25 to 35 grams of protein at every meal will help keep your muscles fueled with the protein they need, increase your daily calorie burn, and help reverse weight gain, he says. These protein-packed breakfasts and high-protein dinners can help. Weird Reason #2: Your Sense of Smell Isn’t What It Used to Be Loss of sensitivity to smells, called anosmia, affects between 10 and 20 percent of all older adults, according to 2017 research published in the Journals of Gerontology. What does sense of smell have to do with weight gain? Smell plays a large part in how foods taste, Dr. Primack explains, so when smell fades, foods can taste bland. This may result in a loss of interest in food, which could cause unexplained weight loss. But it can also lead people to seek more flavor, so they eat fewer healthy foods and more processed ones high in artificial flavors, sugar, and salt. What’s more, when people stop finding pleasure in the taste of foods, the next thing they look to is texture, Dr. Primack says. And the most commonly preferred texture is the creaminess of fat. Tip the scale: If you think your sense of smell or taste is dwindling, ask your doctor for a referral to an otolaryngologist (a.k.a. an ear, nose, and throat) specialist. The ENT will be able to rule out nasal problems like polyps, blocked sinuses, and seasonal allergies. If all checks out, simply understanding how sense of smell can influence your eating habits can help you eat more mindfully going forward. Try adding flavor with herbs and spices or marinades. Plus, harness the power of exercise to sharpen your senses. Weird Reason #3: Your Circadian Rhythms Are Off There’s no end to the list of ways poor sleep can trigger weight gain, including increasing levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin and slashing levels of the feel-full hormone leptin, Dr. Danoff explains. Even short periods of too little sleep can have a big impact. A 2015 study published in Diabetologia found that as little as four days of sleep deprivation reduces the body’s insulin sensitivity, which increases the risk for fat storage. Not making it a priority to get seven to nine hours of sleep each night is one thing, but if you’re physically unable to fall and stay asleep, changes in your body’s circadian rhythms could be to blame. A research review in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism shows that production of melatonin, the hormone that helps you sleep at night and regulates your sleep-wake patterns, decreases with age. This often causes people to wake up earlier, not sleep through the night, or need naps during the day, Dr. Primack says. Another potential disruptor: cataracts, which happen when protein that’s naturally found in the eye starts to clump together, making the lens cloudy and obscuring vision. In people with cataracts, light might not effectively enter the eye to help your body know it’s daytime and time to be awake, Dr. Primack explains. Tip the scale: Start by prioritizing good sleep hygiene—no excuses. That includes going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, avoiding electronics at least one hour before bed, and using your bed only for sleep and sex—no work, TV watching, or anything else that’s associated with a wakeful state. (See five ways to fall and stay asleep, starting tonight!) Also, try keeping a sleep journal to track how many hours you’re sleeping at night and when you find yourself needing a nap. This can help you ID and deal with any lifestyle issues that are keeping you up at night. If good sleep hygiene isn’t enough to score you a good night’s rest, the next step is talking with your primary care physician or a sleep specialist. He or she will want to check for any underlying health problems like sleep apnea. Last, for those dealing with cataracts, talk to your doctor about whether surgery makes sense for you. A 2017 review published in the International Journal of Ophthalmology found that cataract surgery improved sleep in people with both cataracts and insomnia.

I gained 3 lbs one month post op I’m kinda freaking out I was doing so well but I started eating normal! My stomach takes food well 😞 any helpers please 😞

It's personal choice. How strict or sack you want your diet to look. We all have different body physiology. Carbs and sugars may work for one person and not for others. No judgment for either routes if it get us to the same goal. Does not matter what type of surgery or what food plan you have, Any of us can have weight gain. Surgery is not magic. This will be a lifetime of healthy choices.

I can eat more salad than other things, and I think that’s okay. Most of us did not become obese by eating salads. I would just be careful with the high calorie dressing. Hunger seems individual. I get hungry too. I myself do not drink a lot of protein shakes, I prefer to get my nutrients mostly from food. If protein shakes do not help you feel full it seems pointless to drink them in my opinion. You say you are indulging in “bad food”. If you are referring to slider type food, these foods will not help your hunger so stop eating them. They can easily contribute to weight gain post surgery. It sounds like you know what you need to do already. Drink more water, track intake, stick to a diet high in protein and vegetables....you can do it!

I got up this morning and weighed 179.6. This afternoon I weighed 182.0. I haven't eaten anything today (totally nothing). I had nasal surgery this morning to repair a deviated septum (that's why I haven't eaten yet today), they must have really pumped me full of fluids during the procedure. I have been peeing a lot since getting released and was really surprised when I stepped on the scale. I hope it goes away as fast as I gained it, I don't want to be above 180lbs. LOL

Good for you I can't even lay on my side yet too much pain feels like my whole insides falls to the right. I've been sleeping on my back which I hate smh.That weight gain after discharge was most likely from swelling.